Elsner and Dunham photos provide clues

 

“Charles” Carl Friedrich August Elsner, 1852-1941

     Years ago, someone gave me, Selma, this 1940 photo of “Charles” Carl Friedrich August Elsner, 1852-1941. Charles lived in Frankfort, Will County, Illinois. The photo shows great-grandpa Elsner holding baby Selma on his lap in a rocking chair in his parlor. Why is this important to me? This connects me with my paternal ancestors. If you had time to read my first blog in this #52ancestors series, you will remember that I do not have verbal stories passed down from the families. This tells me great-grandpa cared enough to want a photo with me. In this family, the men provided for their families by working hard. The families were not physically demonstrative as some people today.

     My mom expressed at one time her difficulty in asking for or giving hugs. Mom said, “My father provided for our family, but I never saw him hug anyone.” She added that her father never told her that he loved her, yet she did not doubt his love because of his provision for his family. My own experience with my family of several generations was the same.

     When I went to Lockport, Illinois, (maternal side) with the family, I went outside and played, usually by myself. When I went to Frankfort, Illinois, (paternal side) with the family, I was given the choice to play outside, wonderful old summer kitchen or in the home, Grandpa Kampe had a very large roll top desk.  Between the side drawers, a box of toys included a large top and a wooden turtle with a pull string which keep me playing for hours. Grandpa would set in his rocking chair and watch me play while the adults visited. My son enjoyed playing with the toys; and I have a photo of my son sitting on his great-grandpa Kampe’s lap in a rocking chair. Great memories!!!

Who is Aunt Sarah Dunham? As the generations passed, I received more family photos; so “Aunt Sarah” started my genealogy climb. In the early 1990s, I posted her photo on every site that allowed questions. Was this “Aunt Sarah” by birth or by marriage? In 1993 my conclusion with thanks to P.C. Alger, Ann Eldred and others in New York who shared photos, “Aunt Sarah” was born a Dunham who married a Hickok. With this information, I joined the Dunham family association, again great help from Gratia Dunham Mahony and others. (I am currently a Dunham board member and V.P., check us out) Next challenge is what branch of the family? Thanks to DNA and my Dunham cousins Rich Capen and Christina Strieff, I have been added to the William F. Dunham branch of the family. Please for more family articles, read blogs or contact me.

    Great-grandpa Charles Elsner is probably my favorite photo, yet “Aunt Sarah” deserves credit for introducing me to the world of genealogy with enjoyment of 30+ years and still searching for more family and memories. Thank you everyone!!!

Fellow genealogists, how come . . .?

Kampe, Selma Ethel baptism, First United Methodist Church of Lockport, Will County, Illinois. Accessed on Ancestry.

Dear fellow genealogists, how come you didn't respond to my correspondence? Confessions from one who has used them all. Life gets in the way. We have often hear, "Life is short, do genealogy first."

When I do not receive that return note, maybe instead of becoming angry, I should attempt to walk in their moccasins for a mile. What has been holding them back from replying?

This is possibly my third attempt at the Genealogy Do-Over started by Thomas MacEntee. Thomas has books, ebooks, blogs and a Facebook group. Each time, I am able to dig deeper. Our Genealogy Group at Clayton State University, Morrow, Georgia, has been using this program.

Recently, while checking forgotten emails, I found two beautiful family photos from a 2016 email. I immediately returned a different photo with an apology. The apology could have included any one of the following:
family illness or death
family vacations
family graduations, school programs
work
too tired to move
too confused to type
too much social media
family, daily care such as food, laundry, etc

What has happened? LIFE!

Have you, like me, every joined a group but were unable to continue? Life happened; we never returned.

The happy ending to the 2016 photo email story: I acquired a new friend, family, and DNA match. My "new" cousin thanked me for the email with photos.

Lesson for me to be gentler with my responses,

Happy tree climbing and roots digging,
Selma

Lindsey William Dunham (1820-1899) what and how do I know it?

Name: Lindsey William Dunham, most records provide either Lindsey W or L. W.; his death certificate reads “Lindsey Wm Dunham.” The microfilm record may be found in the Wisconsin Pre-1907 Records Collection at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library, Madison, Wisconsin. Specific information: Oconto County, Volume 1, page 327, microfilm reel 101, index volume 1 and sequence number 90131.

Birth date and place: 26 March 1820, Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont, see name record.

Father: William F Dunham, my main connecting record is testimony at Lindsey’s divorce case. “. . . the plaintiff is my son. . .”  Wisconsin, Manitowoc County. Court Records. CF16 #2189. "Lindsey W. Dunham plaintiff vs Esther A. Dunham defendant" 26 October 1858 granted 23 April 1861. 23 pages. Archives and Area Research Center #2401, Cofrin Library, UW Green Bay, 2420 Nicout Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001.

Mother: Sarah Metcalf, this information is derived from her marriage to William F on 21 January 1819 in Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont. "Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8R8-8Z8 : 6 April 2016), William F Dunham and Sarah Metcalf, 21 Jan 1819; citing Marriage, Pomfret, Windsor, Vermont, United States, town clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 28,665. Accessed on Ancestry.com.

First marriage: Esther Ann Baldwin and Lindsey were married about 1 April 1847. This estimate comes from Lindsey’s divorce testimony. It is written that he stated the year as 1857, but one son had been born and the divorce was already in process. This is probably a misunderstanding. The divorce testimony states they were married by Pastor Lewis. Research by a hired certified APG person has identified a Pastor Lewis as the pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist church of Verona, Oneida County, New York about 1844-1848. After a trip to the church archives in Janesville, Wisconsin, at this time, no records are available verifying this marriage date. Several land deeds from New York for purchase of land by Lindsey and his wife, Esther, from Norman Baldwin are dated 1844 and 1847.

First marriage ended in divorce: In 1856, Lindsey published a notice for non-payment of others debts in the Manitowoc Herald newspaper. See Roots Digger tree on Ancestry for digital image with source. For divorce filings see the source for relationship of father above.

Second marriage: Esther James’ marriage to Lindsey date unknown at this time. The 1870 US census reads that Rebecca James “lives with daughter.” Rebecca and Esther are enumerated in the household with Lindsey Dunham.  Year 1870, Howard, Brown County, Wisconsin. Roll M593_1703. Page 274A. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. 

Child: Jay Forrester Dunham was born 1 December 1852. In 1852, Jay’s biological mother would be Esther Baldwin and NOT Esther James.

There is no evidence that Lindsey William Dunham had any other biological children.

Death: 20 February 1899 see the death certificate source above with Name. Look at the Find a Grave Site, there are other Dunham family members buried in the Mill Centre cemetery, Howard, Brown County, Wisconsin.

My connection to Lindsey, at this time I have DNA matches to his siblings. Lindsey and Jane A, my maternal second great grandmother, worked together in 1844 in Rome, Oneida County, New York. Help me! I want to find this family connection!

As of this writing, I have recently found a DNA match for Metcalf, possibly Lindsey’s mother's line. 

Currently I do not know the parents of William F. Dunham.

Please send any comments or questions to sbgenealogy@gmail.com. Thank you.

Veraldine Louise Small (1901-1990) case study using online public hints

Methodist Church, Lockport, Illinois. scanned by LAGHS from Ancestry.

MyHeritage sent me a DNA match notice for a possible third to fourth cousin. We shared 7 segments with the largest 27 cM. GV has only eleven people in her tree. That was enough! Small is our mutual surname. Veraldine Small (1901-1990) and Roy Chaney (1885-1966) show up in her tree.

Already in my Roots Magic data base, it is time to search for Veraldine Small in Ancestry. I did add Roy Chaney from the My Heritage tree. The 1930 US census enumerates Roy, Veraldine and Eugene Powers as a step-son. Searching for marriage records for Roy and Veraldine produced scanned church records by Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society of Lockport, Illinois. Roy Chaney and Veraldine Powers were married in the Methodist church on 20 January 1928. This search also provided baptism information for the Small family.

Roy and Veraldine had two daughters; one of these is my third cousin. What a thrill for me to talk on the phone with a new relative! We would not have connected if it were not for DNA, online trees, individual groups scanning records and companies opening up these records for all to access. My research is open to all on Ancestry as Roots Digger. This provides copies of documents, photographs and sources when available. I am in the process of updating a tree on My Heritage. My current My Heritage tree KampeSchuler2 is open to the public with Roots Digger under construction in the update process.

How am I related to GV?

3rd cousin

Veraldine Louise SMALL (1901 - 1990)
mother of GV

Annie May PEMBERTON (1880 - 1951)
mother of Veraldine Louise SMALL

Elizabeth SCHULER (1842 - 1915)
mother of Annie May PEMBERTON

John SCHULER (1815 - 1875)
father of Elizabeth SCHULER

John SCHULER (1841 - 1916)
son of John SCHULER

William John SCHULER (1871 - 1964)
son of John SCHULER

Mildred Louise SCHULER (1919 - 2008)
daughter of William John SCHULER

Selma Ethel KAMPE
You are the daughter of Mildred Louise SCHULER

Thank you to everyone who posts public trees! Thank you to My Heritage for your DNA matching program! Thank you to LAGHS, Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society for scanning area records! I have found many family clues that are not available elsewhere. Thank you to Ancestry for providing access to these records. Everything a family historian finds, every record, every tree should be used as a clue to dig, dig, dig! Verify as much of your information as you can. If it comes from a family story, that is your source! Where did you find that piece of information?

Veraldine Louise Small:

Name Veraldine Louise Small source: baptismal records, Methodist Church.  Ancestry.com. Lockport Area, Illinois, Church, Cemetery, and Other Records, 1811-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Original data: Genealogical Records. Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, Lockport, Illinois.

Birth: 2 July 1901 from a private tree, about 1902 is the date given in four US census records on Ancestry.

Baptism: 25 December 1905, Methodist church, Lockport, Illinois. R.H. Dollliver, pastor. Ancestry.com. Lockport Area, Illinois, Church, Cemetery, and Other Records, 1811-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Genealogical Records. Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, Lockport, Illinois.

First marriage: Paul Powers (abt 1901- ) 15 August 1923. Cook County, Illinois. Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Marriage Indexes, 1912-1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Private donor.

Second marriage: Roy Weldon Chaney (1885-1968) 20 January 1928 Lockport Methodist church, Lockport, Illinois. Ancestry.com. Lockport Area, Illinois, Church, Cemetery, and Other Records, 1811-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Genealogical Records. Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, Lockport, Illinois.

Third marriage: Roy Littlejohn 21 June 1943, Cook County, Illinois. Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index, 1930-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Cook County Clerk, comp. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.

Death: 1990 Gary, Indiana, private information. My goal is to search further for a death certificate and or obituary.

See Roots Digger family tree under construction on Ancestry for more family details.